Hurricanes and other storms with winds around 150 mph, for example, may hit coastlines and inland areas, devastating homes and other buildings. Debris carried by storm winds may impact and shatter windows, doors, and/or other building portals, causing severe external damage and allowing further interior water and other damage from wind driven rain and intrusions. During a storm and/or high winds, windows, doors, and other portals are the most vulnerable points in a building and may fail due to external and internal wind pressures. External positive wind pressure (outside to inside) may cause windows, doors, and other portals to shatter and pressurize the building, which then allows internal negative wind pressure (inside to outside) to push on walls and roof systems, which may cause the interior walls and roofs to become compromised and eventually fail or collapse, resulting in a total loss of contents, as shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, protecting the windows, doors, and other portals in a building, as the weakest entry points, is vital for minimizing loss potential.
While conventional plywood may be installed over windows, doors, and/or other building portals to shield the building from an oncoming storm, plywood and other installations may require contractors working with tools, fasteners, and ladders over a substantial amount of time. These traditional solutions require time, equipment, and manpower that may not be available when a storm takes an unexpected turn. Further, the fasteners required to install plywood over windows may leave screw holes and/or other damage to the outside of the building (e.g., exterior vinyl siding) that would require repair or replacement following the storm.
Moreover, despite the availability of hurricane resistant windows with impact-rated glass, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,606, for example, these products may be too costly for new construction and/or incompatible with existing antique or period window styles. Many states' construction codes do not mandate the use of hurricane windows, so the likelihood that optional impact-rated glass has been installed in a building without a special request is low. Finally, in addition to the increased cost of the storm resistant windows themselves, installation of such features requires further costs associated with adapting the structural framing, brackets, and/or fasteners necessary to support the additional weight and dimensions of storm windows and doors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,605 discloses a folding hinged device with straps configured to fit within the screen tracks of a double-hung window. However, the folds and hinges in the device may allow external positive wind pressure to damage the window, which may lead to further building interior damage. Additionally, the hinged device is constructed out of too many materials, which add weight and are expensive, as well as being more unwieldy to install.
Thus, what is needed is a protection solution for buildings without impact resistant windows that may be easily installed, is cost-effective, and is operative for providing adequate protection from storm or other damage.